Hey guys, what’s up!

 It’s Hunter with another blog, hope you all are having a fantastic week so far.  If you are anything like me you are over the moon excited for Christmas, the most magical time of the year. I am so excited. Coming from Southern Oregon to Southern California was a big change because of the weather. Instead of sipping hot chocolate by the fireplace at home, you now have an acai bowl and you're at the beach in the 95 degree weather. This time of the year is so fun because at this point in the semester, everyone is so ready to get time off and go home and have almost four weeks where we don't have to do homework or worry about studying. With it being a very festive month, it is also the most stressful month. Once you get back from Thanksgiving, you only have about 2 weeks until it is finals week and everyone's stress levels are at an all time high. With stress being so high Biola does an excellent job at making us all feel at home.

Once a year at Biola there is something that is so magical and much needed the week we all come back from Thanksgiving. My all time favorite event of the entire semester is the Christmas tree lighting. It is a time where the whole campus comes together and there is a big worship service on Metzger lawn and all the songs are all based on why we celebrate Christmas and why this is a magical time. The ceremony is cool because it is an all community thing and there are a lot of professors and their families and even families from the La Mirada area (which was cool to witness last year). After worship concluded, Doctor Barry Corey prayed and then turned the lights on for the Christmas tree. Then something I was not even expecting  - it started to SNOW!!! In Southern California, what the heck, I mean obviously it was fake but it was pretty cool seeing Biola put in the effort to make all of their students feel at home. It makes me very happy to be a part of a small university when there are intimate events like these. I cannot wait to see you all on campus for the 2019 Christmas Tree Lighting. I know it is early, but I wish you and all of your families a blessed Merry Christmas. Here are some pictures from the last couple years of Christmas Tree Lightings.

Christmas Tree Lighting at Biola University
Christmas Tree Lighting at Biola University

The Christmas Tree at Night
The Christmas Tree at Night


Until next time,

Hunter Kennedy